A live-action American adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and animated feature film, Akira, has been on the way for a while now with Albert Hughes (of the Hughes Brothers) attached to direct.

Many rumors have swirled around the proposed film, but nothing quite solid has ever manifested yet. And that seems to be just fine with Akira fans everywhere, who have made it pretty clear that they don’t think a live-action adaptation would work and they don’t want to see it happen. Of course that’s just what they say now, and if a really well-done movie is made with the proper cast and an intriguing trailer is released, those very same fans would likely be singing a different tune.

The Book Of Eli
Blu-ray | DVD | VOD
Directed by the Hughes Brothers
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals
Warner Bros Home Entertainment
Release date: June 15, 2010

Are you looking for a trek across the post apocalyptic wasteland of our future? How about a trek to bring the word of God back to the people and into the right hands? If you are, than The Book of Eli is definitely for you. That’s right you heard me correctly, post apocalyptic trek across the wasteland of the future and to top it off it is led by America’s best friend, Denzel Washington.

While this may not be appealing to everyone and I definitely can see where this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I have to say that I definitely enjoyed this premise. We meet Eli (Washington) 30 years after a war has left the Earth a barren landscape, bringing out the worst in its human survivors. Eli is traveling on foot, to where we don’t know at first. He seems a simple man with a simple quest, until you see him in action — it will surprise you. Eventually, he comes to a functioning town run by Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man obsessed with finding a special book he believes will give him more control over the masses than he already has.

For many fans of the popular six-part Japanese manga or the 1988 animated film, the announcement of a live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo‘s Akira was a scary but quietly intriguing prospect. With today’s filmmaking technologies, there’s no doubt that a faithful and well-made film could be amazing to see, if put in the right hands.

Then came word that Albert Hughes and Allan Hughes would be stepping in to direct the movie for Warner Brothers and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way Productions.

At that point, Children of Men, Iron Man, and Cowboys and Aliens writing duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby were working on the script, but it sounds like now a change has been made. In an interview with Collider, producer Andrew Lazar talked all things Akira. Among the things discussed, he shared that the new writer working on the project is Albert Torres. Also, that the first of the proposed two films would be based on parts 1-3 of the manga, and the second of course will focus on parts 4-6.

We’ve known for a while now that a live-action version of popular Japanese anime Akira was on the way through Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way Productions. Apart from knowing this, not many updates have been offered so far, but according to NY Mag’s Vulture Blog, a director — or directors — are about to be obtained.

Sources say that Warner Brothers is in negotiations with the Hughes Brothers, Allen and Albert, to take on the remake. The brothers are just coming off of a WB project with the post-apocalyptic drama, The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. It would appear that the studio very much liked what the duo did with that property, and that it would best to scoop them right back up again here.

I’ll be honest with you, The Book of Eli panel at last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con garnered little attention, despite having stars Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis in attendance, as well as a kick-ass trailer [Read SDCC 09: “˜Book of Eli’ Panel]

The Hughes Brothers‘ film, which opened in theaters this past Friday, was just too far off and too far buried under anticipated blockbusters like Avatar and Iron Man 2 (and of course Twilight: New Moon).

Plus, how many good movies ever came out in January? It’s usually not a good sign, but thanks to Cloverfield (a box office smash in January 2008), I’ve come to expect at least one decent January movie a year, and let me tell you, The Book of Eli is the one for 2010. I absolutely loved the movie, despite the questions it left me with. The entire movie could have been just Washington and Oldman and I would have been fine with it.

The film takes place 30 years in the future in a post-apocalyptic setting where one man, Eli (Washington), is traveling the country with an important book, one that the villainous Carnegie (Oldman) would do anything to possess. The inhabitants are reminiscent of Road Warrior, with Kill Bill-like action. You’re on the edge of your seat as Eli makes his arduous journey, even after we learn what he’s capable of. And what is this all-important book he carries and why does Carnegie want it so badly? And how to does Mila Kunis’s character fit in?

Time for some SPOILER TALK! Below are SPOILERS for The Book of Eli. Free free to add your thoughts in the Comments section.